Directed by Alfonso Cuaron Roma is breathtaking and incredibly moving, not just from an emotional standpoint but because of the grace with which it is constructed. It's a deeply intimate story shot in the manner of an epic, something Cuaron is well adept at doing following movies like Children of Men (2007) and Gravity (2013). The smallest … Continue reading Roma (2018)
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White Rock (1977)
Directed by Tony Maylam There's not much to say about White Rock, a fun, silly and engaging arthouse film about the winter Olympics. Like Koyaanisqatsi (1982) this is a film centered around fast-paced imagery and music. It's very experimental in that way, though White Rock offers some context for the action onscreen through host James Coburn. Coburn walks … Continue reading White Rock (1977)
Green Book (2018)
Directed by Peter Farrelly Well sh*t I liked it, next to Paddington 2, this had the sweetest final shot of any movie I've seen this year. Green Book feels like one of those movies that might be trying a little too hard to say something that's been said before. It's a movie that, in the trailers, … Continue reading Green Book (2018)
Searching (2018)
Directed by Aneesh Chaganty Searching combines the stylistic premise of Unfriended with a prologue as emotionally taxing as Up and a sensational, dramatic kidnapping story with the twists and turns of Gone Girl. The movie's hook, that it's a story told entirely through computer screens, at times stretches believability (do you really FaceTime the detective tracking your daughter's … Continue reading Searching (2018)
A Christmas Story (1983)
Directed by Bob Clark A Christmas Story seems to be all about desire, mostly as it facilitates good 'ol American capitalism. The story is set in what is often made to seem a simpler time, the 1940s. This is either pre-World War II or if it's in fact set during the war the story, presented … Continue reading A Christmas Story (1983)
The Martian (2015)
Directed by Ridley Scott A botanist (Matt Damon) finds himself shipwrecked and alone on Mars following an aborted mission and in an effort to survive makes science cool again. The Martian does for chemistry and ecology what All the President's Men did for journalism. These are films about single-minded characters who are good at the thing … Continue reading The Martian (2015)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Directed by James Cameron Terminator 2 is a mirror of the first Terminator. We follow a similar structure, with two nude future people showing up in a ball of electricity, one trying to kill a Connor and the other sent to protect that Conner. The first time around the villain, the Terminator, was an Arnold Schwarzenegger … Continue reading Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Directed by Cameron Crowe Jerry Maguire is a wonder. It's a sappy romantic drama about a sports agent learning to, I suppose, learn empathy, and it all works. It doesn't seem like it should, but then again this is the role Tom Cruise seems to have been made for. It allows him to play into … Continue reading Jerry Maguire (1996)
Singles (1992)
Directed by Cameron Crowe Singles is a tough hang. It's deeply immersed in the same Gen X culture as Reality Bites, Slacker and the tv show Friends, but Cameron Crowe's second film has none of the commentary or unbridled energy of those films (and show). We're presented with a specific time and place, much more about the atmosphere … Continue reading Singles (1992)
The Terminator (1984)
Directed by James Cameron The Terminator is a lot more silly than I remembered. It’s fun but not quite as exciting as I imagined, though I think I have a much stronger memory of the sequel, Terminator II: Judgment Day. You can see the seams of this movie, as with most of the best 80’s … Continue reading The Terminator (1984)
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